


i know that there'll be better days

by takemebacktokansas



Category: Adventures in Odyssey
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Canon Compliant, F/M, Gen, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shock, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Trauma, jason literally saved her life, look connie needs to deal with her trauma and the thing is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28585539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takemebacktokansas/pseuds/takemebacktokansas
Summary: He was in her house.He went through her clothes, and the police found something of particular interest in her bedroom, which leads her to only one conclusion of what Spencer really planned to do.It comes as quite a shock, and she doesn't quite know how to handle this.
Relationships: Connie Kendall & Jules Kendall, Connie Kendall/Jason Whittaker, Jason Whittaker & Connie Kendall
Kudos: 8





	i know that there'll be better days

**Author's Note:**

> I had to do this after thinking about this episode. Like, it's obvious what this guy was going to do and well, Connie definitely did not feel safe enough to go back to her place that night. Heck, she probably sells it instantly because that is just Too Much to deal with. Anyways.

“Are you alright, Connie?”

She looked down at her hands, watched the way they shook, and bit down on her bottom lip. “I’m, uh…” She blew a breath past her lips. “If it weren’t for you, I might– you saved my life, Jason.”

Jason glanced over his shoulder and pushed a hand through his hair. With his other hand, he squeezed Connie’s arm. “Do– do you want to call Jules and Jillian, tell them about this, make sure they’re okay?”

Connie’s eyes widened. “Jason, what do you think he would have done to Jules?”

Jason opened his mouth to answer, but the idea of what could have happened, of what almost happened, couldn’t make it past his lips. “I think he planned this deliberately and waited until the two of them were out of the house.”

She knew that, of course.

She knew that this man had done enough stalking, had been obsessed with her long enough to know where she lived, that he had romanticized her in his sick, twisted mind as his potential savior, as the one thing standing between his guilt and his redemption.

Spencer was planning on making her a statistic, probably planning on kidnapping her and breaking her down and hoping for Stockholm Syndrome.

Connie just couldn’t think of what he would have done to her. Not now, at least.

“Jason?”

He searched her eyes, his hand never leaving, him always staying. Promising her that he would protect her, the same way he would protect Wooton and the kids and his father.

(He knew about this guy a while ago, and he tracked his movements. Something happened, a word drifted on the wind, and Jason knew about her stalker, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Connie’s life was in danger. He knew, and he protected her.

He saved her life, but he would never admit to it.)

She cleared her throat. “Um, don’t go anywhere, alright?”

He nodded and pressed his back to the wall.

(Still close enough to protect her. Still close enough to ground her.

He had never been her rock before, but he was her rock now, more than Whit could ever be.)

Connie chewed on her fingernails as she waited for Jules to pick up, glancing from the carpet to Jason. He tried to offer her a comforting smile, but after the day she’d had, comforting took a lot more than just a smile.

“What?”

“Jules! Thank God you’re okay.” Connie tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you and Jillian still at the strip mall?”

Based on the noise in the background, they were. “Yeah, we haven’t left Connellsville yet,” Jules said. “Why? What’s this about?”

Connie swallowed hard. “Um…it’s…hard for me to explain. Short story, an escaped convict broke into our house, ate our food, and was waiting for me to go back home.”

“Oh my God, Connie, are you okay? What– is it safe to go back? Are the police there? Did they arrest him?”

Connie took a shaky breath and pressed her back to the wall, close enough to Jason that she could reach out and grab his hand if it got too hard to talk. “Um, I’m fine. I’m shocked, but I’m still here at Whit’s End, and Jason’s here, too, so that makes me feel a little better. The police apprehended him as far as I know –” she glanced at Jason, and he nodded, “– and I’d assume they’re still going through the house since he broke in. He…might have been planning to hurt one of us, so they’re probably looking for evidence in case he doesn’t confess.” She scratched her nose. “I’d recommend staying at a friend’s or at a hotel for the night. I can call around.”

On the other end, Jules let out a shaky breath. “Okay, as long as you’re okay. Um…I think Jillian and I will find a hotel room in Connellsville and stay here. I’ll text you the room number, if that makes you feel any safer.”

Connie leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, that’s fine. Um, Polehaus might have some questions for me, so I’ll tell you what he thinks is safest soon. You and Jillian stay safe.”

“We will.” Jules hesitated for a second. “I love you, Connie. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Love you, too, Jules.” Once she pressed the end call button, her phone nearly fell from her hands, but Jason reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“Connie…” he sighed. “Do you want to stay with my dad and me tonight? I don’t think he’s going to mind. We can call Jules and Jillian back and –”

She shook her head. “They’re going to stay in Connellsville overnight, and I feel like that’s safer.” She laughed humorlessly. “And Spencer was after me, wasn’t he? He’s not going after them, even if he escapes again.”

Jason sighed and glanced at the floor. “Yeah,” he said softly. He looked up. “But my offer still stands.”

Connie tried to force a smile. “When do I have to talk to Polehaus?”

***

Jason’s shirt was way too big for her, and even his sweatpants were big on her. The drawstring kept them from falling down, but they were still large, and somehow, that thought comforted her.

Jason stepped into the room with a set of clean sheets, holding them up in the air for her to see. She smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, running her hands over the comforter.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright? I don’t mind camping out on the floor.”

Connie smiled at him. “You’re sleeping in the living room, which is the only way anyone can get to this room, and you are armed with both a gun and a baseball bat. I think I’ll be fine.”

Jason sighed and pulled out the desk chair to sit across from her. “Drop the act, Connie. I–” he licked his lips and looked away. “You don’t have to be strong, alright? You can be scared, and you can admit your fear.”

Her hands started to shake again, and she looked down, playing with her fingers. “Jason,” she breathed. She looked up, tears in her eyes, and her voice shook, her body shook, and she couldn’t think the very words that left her mouth. “He was going to rape me.”

He nodded slowly. “He almost certainly was going to do that.” He leaned forward, not enough to invade her space, but to remind her that he was there. “And he could have done much, much worse with it. He’s been stalking you since high school, and he became obsessed with you while he was in prison, and he escaped just so he could try and make you fall in love with him.”

She choked on a sob. “You sure do have a way of cheering someone up, don’t you?”

“Connie, don’t hold it together, alright? I’ve seen these types of cases before. I’ve assisted on them, I’ve led them, I’ve seen what happens when these types of stalkers are successful, and I’ve seen what it does to the victims who survive. Jules isn’t here. Jillian isn’t here. I am, and Dad is, and we’re here for you.”

Her shoulders shook. “Jason, he was going to rape me!” The sobs racked her body, and she collapsed in his arms. “He was going to rape me, and I couldn’t– there would have been no way for me to expect that, no way for me to fight back.” She sobbed into his shoulder. “He was going to rape me, and then he was going to do something else to me, and I don’t know– I don’t know–”

Jason rubbed her back. “I’m here. I’ll protect you.”

(It was a promise.

It was a promise, not just from Jason, and not just from Whit.

Whenever she asked God what the point of this was, all she got in response was  _ I’m here. I’ll protect you. _

And it was true.)

Connie tucked her face into the crook of Jason’s neck and continued to cry. But she was safe, and Jules was safe, and Spencer was behind bars again.

She was safe.

Jason pressed his cheek to her hair. “I’ll protect you,” he whispered.

_ I’ll protect you. _

_ I’ll protect you. _

**_I’ll protect you._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Like it, love it, hate it? Leave a comment below or go to my tumblr, @ takemebackto-kansas, and tell me what you think!


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